Tucker Hibbert Receives First ESPY Award Nomination

Snowmobile snocross legend Tucker Hibbert is one of five athletes nominated for the 2011 Best Male Action Sport ESPY Award. Hibbert’s record breaking season earned him his first nod for the prestigious award which will be presented live on ESPN Wednesday, July 13.

Despite suffering a serious wrist injury mid-season, Hibbert had a breakthrough year winning his tenth overall ESPN Winter X Games snocross medal with a gold medal five-peat and dominating the national snocross tour. He won 11 of the 16 Pro finals and finished top-five in all 16 to claim both National Pro Points Championships.

Hibbert was catapulted to the center of the action sports world at age 15 when he became the youngest gold medalist in history at the 2000 Winter X Games. Now, the 27-year-old is known worldwide for his long list of accomplishments including his impressive crossover into AMA Motocross and Supercross.

The ESPY (Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly) Award nominees were selected by a panel of judges but ultimately fans will decide who will win. Hibbert will battle Travis Pastrana, Kevin Rolland, Kelly Slater and Shaun White though online and mobile voting through Saturday, July 9.

Tucker Hibbert – #68 Monster Energy/Arctic Cat“It’s an incredible honor to be nominated for an ESPY Award. As an athlete, this is one of those things you dream about. To win X Games medals, national and world championships is one thing but to be honored as one of the top action sports athletes in the world, is on a different level. I can’t imagine what it’s going to be like in Nokia Theatre surrounded by the best athletes from every sport.”

Fast Facts• Resides: Pelican Rapids, MN | Born: Driggs, Idaho | Hometown: Goodridge, MN• 10-time ESPN Winter X Games medalist• Six-time National Snocross Pro Points Champion• 2010 FIM Snowcross World Champion• Second snowmobile athlete in history to be nominated for an ESPY Award• Has raced for one snowmobile manufacturer his entire career - Arctic Cat• World’s only athlete to race both snowmobiles and motorcycles at a premier level

The 2011 ESPYsThe 19th annual ESPYs will be hosted by Saturday Night Live’s “Weekend Update” anchor Seth Meyers, who will be joined by an all-star lineup of the top athletes and entertainers to celebrate the best sports stories of the year.